As one of medicine’s most catastrophic cancers, mesothelioma afflicts an estimated 3,000 people annually in the United States, striking down scores exposed earlier in life to asbestos, usually in the workplace. A mesothelioma diagnosis triggers a wide range of emotions, often leaving patients and their families feeling angry, betrayed and isolated.
For those who hoped to enjoy their retirement years, mesothelioma instead leads to the most traumatic period of their lives, prompting difficult questions that deserve definitive answers. In confusing times like these, victims need the expertise of a proven national law firm with the experience and resources required to hold the responsible parties accountable.
Weitz & Luxenberg for three decades has been the clear choice for mesothelioma victims seeking compensation for asbestos exposure, earning $17 billion in damages for ailing clients, their families and heirs.
Asbestos Exposure Causes Mesothelioma
This cruel and unpredictable disease does not develop in every worker exposed to asbestos, but those most commonly affected by mesothelioma include factory workers, enlisted military, construction contractors and thousands of others who were involved in the handling of asbestos products. Asbestos, a natural mineral found in the earth, for decades was used as a retardant barrier against heat, fire and chemicals.
According to the World Health Organization, asbestos exposure is the overwhelming cause of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma can develop when asbestos fibers are breathed in. Over time, exposure to asbestos can damage a person’s DNA. This damage can lead to mesothelioma. This process varies by each person exposed and explains why it can take many years for mesothelioma to develop.
That is why mesothelioma patients, only recently diagnosed, can trace their asbestos exposure back many years. There are those recently diagnosed who were exposed in the 1940s or 1950s. It can take a lifetime to develop mesothelioma, but once it is found it can quickly take its toll.
Settlements Paid to Mesothelioma Patients and Families
Manufacturers, distributors and employers who exposed workers to asbestos products, often knowingly, have already paid billions in settlements to mesothelioma patients and their families, but the fight continues.
“For the most part, these were blue-collar men who got up and went to work every day to feed their family, house their family, clothe their family, and they were hung out to dry by big companies,” said Jerry Kristal, an attorney at Weitz & Luxenberg since 1997.
As it stands, there is no mesothelioma cure and fewer than 10 percent of those stricken survive beyond five years, although a handful of medical procedures have helped prolong the quality of life for victims. However, treatment is expensive and usually requires surgery, chemotherapy or radiation, often in combination. For some families, the medical bills seem as damaging as the diagnosis.
Filing a Mesothelioma Lawsuit
Filing a lawsuit not only can represent the first step toward holding asbestos companies responsible for damages, but in securing a financial footing for patients. However, timing is crucial. States have different filing timelines for lawsuits, called statutes of limitations, which apply when seeking compensation in negligence and wrongful-death cases. Similar to the medical treatment of mesothelioma, speed is a crucial factor during the legal process, too.
While winning a lawsuit will not provide the cure for mesothelioma itself, it can ease, if not erase, the potentially catastrophic financial burden associated with the disease, which sometimes can linger for years for any surviving family.
The first step toward finding financial peace of mind is to retain an experienced national law firm. Weitz & Luxenberg, with three national offices, works at no upfront cost to clients and earns a percentage of any potential settlement only after any lawsuit is successfully concluded.
For mesothelioma patients and their family members, it would be a privilege for Weitz & Luxenberg to discuss the details of the legal process and to provide well-deserved support through a confusing, emotional time. Please contact our office at (833) 544-0604 or or fill out a form to speak to one of our Mesothelioma Attorneys.